Skylight dome construction



April 30, 1957 M. wAssERMAN SKYLIGHT DOME CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 26, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 www@ Ii INVENTOR. l/az Wasserman BY Q 4f ad@ g April 30, 1957 M. wAssERMAN SKYLIGHT DOME CONSTRUCTION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2G, 1952 f INVENTOR.

Maz l/asser/narz M. WASSERMAN SKYLIGHT DOME CONSTRUCTION April so, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. ze, '1952 FIG. E

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l IN V EN TOR. Max Wasserman BY y United States PatentO 2,790,400 SKYLIGHT DOME CONSTRUCTION Max Wasserman, Cambridge, Mass. Application December26, 19572, Serial No. 328,045 3 Claims. (Cl. 10S-116) The present invention relates to a VSkylight construe? tio'n and more particularly to a skylight construction in which a plurality of skylight domes are combined into a single skylight unit.

The use of plastic domes for skylights as disclosed in my prior United States LettersPatent No. 2,610,593 has-been limited to small and mediumsize skylight open- Patented Apr; 30,1957

2 curbingfbearn 3, .between 'the ends of these.v curbing beams land 2 with another curbing beam not shown, opposite thenonsectioned curbing beam 3 joining the other ends ofthe curbingmeans. The crossbeam curbing 12 which may or may not have side supports 12a extends centrally across the skylight opening. Each of thesecurbing beams 1, 2 and 3 are covered over the top and-sides both inside and outby metal curbing frames 4 made of galvanized sheet metal, other metal elements, or other materials sul'ciently durable to withstand weather and Y Vstrong enough to. act as a support for the skylight coverings since these plastic domes cannot bemade and han.-

dled' efficiently in the larger sizes. In (the .present invention a plura-lityiof these domes are fixed' adjacent Vto one another forming larger and stronger skylight units than could` be possible by using a single dome for each unit. The present invention also provides a mea-ns for prefab,` ricating the individualv skylight domes with' intertt'ing units so that' individual dome units may be assembled into a single multiple dome unit at' the site of. the'installation with a minimum of welding or soldering.

The present invention also provides a construction of aA multiple dome skylight unit which'requires no addif tional supportof crossbeam curbing members in the skylight opening.

The present invention also permits shipping of a multipledorne unit in a plurality of smaller assembled sec-j tions lwhich are easy to handle and unlikely to break.

A further advantage of the present invention is that skylight units of varying sizes may be assembled from the individual-domes which are of equal unit'` size.

The present invention also provides an inexpensive skylight construction which may be applied to skylight openings of any dimension Without n'eed of subsequent waterproon'g. This invention is also strong v and durable and` may be easily installed and appliedl to openings of any size in old or new buildings.

These and other advantages ojf tlie construction ofthe present invention will be morecle'arly understood when considered in conjunction: with the Vfollowing drawings illustrating the-invention in which:

Figure lsh'ows a fragmentary cross-sectional. elevation of'one form of the invention having two. domes-'formingalsingle` lunit'.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the form ofthe invention as shown in Figure 1. Y

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary sectionall elevationfof `a; modiication. v

Figure 4 shows Va* fragmentary' cross-sectional. elevation ofv a modification of the invention.

Figure 5 is a' fragmentarycrossfsection takenrV on lines" 5-5 of Figure 4'.

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional-elevations ofilmodications of the invention.

Figure 8 is a perspectiveview of the intertting curb frames illustrated in Figure 7. e

' Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective ofthe invention ofV Figure 1.

In this' embodiment wherein two plastic domes are used vin the unit, the frame opening is formed by. the sectioned curbing beams 1A` and 2, and the nonsectioned view of the form ing element. The curbing frames 4 have across-section which provides a wall. 5 onV the outside ofthe curbing, a covering web 6 on the top edge or sill of the curbing, land an inner wall element- 7 on the inside of the. wo'oden curbing'which extends downward. into the skylight opening and upwardfproviding` the upwardly extending: flange 8'. VIn addition the'curbing; frame 4 has anv outwardly extending flange 93Which may be continuous and in the same plane or in a downwardly sloping direction, as the covering web .6.. The outer edge of the ilange 9 is turned downward forming the ilange elementl 10- which is` substantially parallel to the outer wall 5 of the curbing Vframe 4. A base dashing- 11 within the outer Wall Sfmaybe provided and may extendupwardly to thecoveringvVb 6.

.As mentioned the skylight opening is divided into two separate openings by the crossbeam curbing memberlZ which'forrns la common sill for adjacent openings. The curbing'fmes 4 as described are positioned on all top edges or' sills V.of the skylight opening except the com@ mon sillformed bythecrossbeam.. curbing 12. .A cross curbing fame13 covers this sillonthe top and. sides. This cross' curbing frame, is comprised of a covering webA 14 which onits.longitudinallyextending center line has a 'perpendicularly extending fold forming a flange member 16; Onjeither side edge of this cross curbing frame 131 are wall elements 1.7 which extendbothdowm wardint the skylight opening. to the same distance as-does the inner wall. 7 of.' the curbing frames 4 and Vupward forming the upwardly ext'endingange member 19 hay; ing' a height equalto. that-v of the upwardly extending ange 8 of thecurbing rame 4. The'. end' edgesy offthe coveringw'eb"fofftlie adjacent curbing frames 4rr`1itered and'ttd together., atfa. 45 angle onl theI face. of; the corners of the sillfon which they rest: and these edges -are soldered o'r otherwise rigidly `and vpermanently;fixed together substantially .along their llength-'including the juncture of'the wall eler'nentv'7 of each curbing .frame 4"`sf tliat r`1`o` water will`get"beneath them;

The side y efnds1 of'. the covering web 14-.formfo1twardly' extending flanges 34 `(Figure.9) which are in thefs'ame" planev a'ndliav'e tliegsarne length: as thef flange 9; Thel` endsof the coyeri'ng'gweb 14 are also providedf'witli downwardly' extending. ange member 3Sv and: agiwall solderingofth ends of the adjacent'curbingfframesat'- y the corners. l .Y

A gasketzzl). covers vtlieexter-nalflange member 9` of pair of gaskets 21 .extend lnl each curbing frame 4. A gitudinallyof the cross curbing frame 13,1 one-on either`- the gasket 20. The ends illustrated' Figure-2 with asma'll openingbetwee'ri themfto permit" water condensation. collecting on .the

covering web to ow out from the skylight unit at the corners. A plastic dome 22 is tted over each of the separate openings formed by the crossbeam curbing 12, each having a horizontal ange 23 resting securely on 'three sides on the gaskets 20 and on the fourth side on the gasket 21. The ange 23 and the gasket 20 may rest on the covering web 6 as Yshown in Figure 3 or on the outwardly extending flange 9 as shown in Figure l. Another set of gaskets 24 covers each side of the ange 23 and similar to gaskets 20 and 21 have an opening at their adjacent ends to permit water collected behind them to ow ol the skylight unit. The plastic dome is held securely down over the opening on the sides by curb retaining frames or apron members 25 which have an inverted L-shaped cross-section and which extend longitudinally of the anges 23. On the fourth side, the dome is securely held down by the cross curb retaining frame 26 which is shaped` to tit over the ange 16.

The horizontal leg 27 of the L-shaped cross-section of the curb retaining frames 25 covers the gasket 24, the vertical leg 28 extends downward outside of the downwardly extending ange 10. This leg 28 is bolted or otherwise secured to the ange preferably as shown by a series of bolts 31 and clinch nuts 32, each bolt passing through a spacing washer 33 placed between the leg 28 and the ange 10.

The ends of the adjacent curb retaining frames 25 are mitered, fitted together and soldered or otherwise secured to one another above the corners of the skylight unit. The ends of the cross curb retaining frame 26 form an outwardly extending flange member 38 (Figure 9) with a downwardly turned end 39, which are adjacent and form a continuous surface with legs 27 and 28 respectively of the adjacent curb retaining frames 25, the respective ends of which are soldered or otherwise secured in sealed butting or overlapping joints to the cross curb retaining frame 26. This cross curb retaining frame is similarly held to the cross curbing frame preferably by bolts 31, nuts and space washers. Moisture is prevented from entering the unit at the ends of the anged member 16 by sealing, withlead or other suitable material, either the end of the ange 16 itself, or that part of the end of the cross curb retaining frame which covers the ange 16. As an alternative either of these elements may be closed by pinching the ends or by putting a cap 44 over the end as is illustrated in Figure 9.

Asa modification the curb retaining frames 25 may extend entirely the length of the skylight, extending either over or under the cross curb retaining frame 26, rather than terminating at either side of the cross curb retaining frame to which it is soldered.

It will be noted that the edges of the ange 23 are spaced from the downward leg 28 of the clamp to provide for expansion and contraction of the various members on three sides, and the fourth side is spaced from the vertical flange 16 for the same reason. It will also be noted that the folded ange 16 provides for expansion and contraction in the center part of the unit. 1

Although the above specification illustrates an embodimentV of the invention having two domes the same principle as described above may be employed to construct a skylight unit having any number of domes arranged either in a single column or in a plurality of adjacent columns. If in the embodiment as described above more than two domesare used in lthe sameunit, crossbeam curbing members should be provided between each adjacent dome.

A modication of this invention is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 wherein the cross curbing frame 41.has-no centrally located vertical ange. In this modication a covering web 42 extends across the crossbeam curbing member 12 in face to face relationship. Thepair of gasketV members 21 longitudinally extending across the covering web 42 are similarly providedto supportthe hanged-edge 23of thedome 22. The pair of gaskets 24 4 above the anged edge 23 space and seal the cross curb retaining frame 43 which is held horizontally at either end by means of bolts 31, clinch nuts 32 and space washers 33, in a manner similar to the means for holding the cross curb retaining frame 26 as previously described.

Figure 6 illustrates a modification which may be used for a skylight opening in which no crossbeam curbing member across the skylight opening is provided. In this modification the cross curbing frame 44 has upwardly extending ends 45 land 46 which are rigidly xed by welding or other suitable means at both of their side edges to the upwardly extending liangesl 8 ofthe adjacent curb` ing frames 4. This construction is strong enough to support any number of domes in a single row forming a skylight unit, however, if more than one row of domes adjacent to one another are to be used to form a skylight unit, it is preferable to provide crossbeam curbing members between rows of these domes. In the moditication as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 a construction is provided which permits dome units 60 each comprising a dome and a combination of curbing frames 4 and cross curbing frames 47 the latter of which form parts of adjacent dome units with retaining frames to be individually packed and shipped to the site of the installation, where a plurality of them may be easily intertted to form a single skylight unit. This permits easier freight handling with less chance of breakage through handling. In this construction the cross curbing frame 47 is fabricated in two sections 48 and 49. Each section has an inner wall element 50 and 51 respectively, having their respective side edges soldered to the side edges of the inner wall members 7 of the adjacent curbing frames 4, each forming a fourth wall of diierent dome units. Section 48 of the cross curbing frame is provided with a covering web section 52 extending horizontally outwardly from the inner wall 50 and having an upwardly anged strip 53 extending longitudinally along the center part of its outer edge. Section 49 of the cross curbing frame forming the fourth side of another dome unit is also provided Ia covering web section 54 extending horizontally outwardly from the inner wall 51 the ,same distance as the covering web 52. An upwardly anged strip 55 with a hooked upper edge 56, formed to interlock with the upwardly extending ange 53 of the section 48 extends Vlongitudinally along the center part of the outer edge of the covering web section 54.

When two dome units are interlocked, their curb retaining frames 25 and the cross curb retaining frames 26 are joined together as described in connection with Figure l.

When the hooked edge 56 and the flange 53 are inter-` locked, they may then be soldered together so that once in place theyY will form a rigid unitary element.

A skylight unit having more than two dome units arrayed in adjacent rows may be readily constructed by substituting sections 48 and 49 of the cross curbing frame 47, one each for the adjacent curb frames in adjacent dome units. v

Having now described my invention I claim:

l. In a skylight construction having enclosing curbing and cross beam curbing members dividing said skylight opening into a plurality of smaller skylight openings and dome members covering each of said openings, means forming a supporting curbing frame and securing means for said dome members comprising a curbing frame hav ing covering webs extending over said curbing and cross beam curbing members with depending flanges extending therefrom at the sides of said curbing members andv up' wardly-extending gutter-forming anges at the edges of said curbing frames bordering Vsaidsnialler skylight open-- ing, said curbing frame having outwardly-extending anges terminating in a secondset of depending anges from said enclosing curbing members for supporting the periphery of said dome members, anupwardly-extending fold formed in the covering web positioned over the cross mecano beam curbing member and between adjacent dome members, and said securing means comprising an apron member having an angle cross section with one leg extending over saidoutwardly-extending ilanges and positioned on the periphery of said domes and means securing the other leg of said angle cross section of said apron member to said second set of depending anges a cross beam retaining frame covering said upwardly-extending fold and extending outwardly therefrom over the adjacent edges of the dome members and terminating in a third set of depending langes aligned with said second set with s-aid cross beam retaining frame secured to said curbing frame.

2. In a skylight construction having enclosing curbing and cross beam curbing members dividing said skylight opening into a plurality of smaller skylight openings and dome members covering each of said openings, means forming a supporting curbing frame and securing means for said dome members comprising a curbing frame having covering webs extending over said curbing and cross beam curbing members with depending flanges extending therefrom at the sides of said curbing members and upwardly-extending gutter-forming flanges at the edges of said curbing frames bordering said smaller skylight opening, said covering webs having portions for supporting said dome members terminating in a second set of depending tlanges, a flange extending upwardly from and longitudinally of the covering web positioned over the cross beam curbing members intermediate said dome members, and said securing means comprising an apron member having an angle cross section with one leg thereof positioned on the periphery of said dome members and the other secured to said second set of depending anges a retaining frame forming a common cover for adjacent edges of said dome members and complementary to said upwardly-extending flange and means for securing said apron member, and retaining frame, to said curbing frame.

3. In a skylight construction having enclosing curbing and cross beam curbing members dividing said skylight opening into a plurality of smaller skylight openings and dome members covering each of said openings, means forming a supporting curbing frame and securing means for said dome members comprising a curbing frame having covering webs extending over said curbing and cross beam curbing members with depending flanges extending therefrom at the sides of said curbing members and an upwardly-extending gutter forming flanges at the edges of said curbing frames bordering said smaller skylight opening, said curbing frame having portions for supporting said dome members terminating in a second set of depending anges, said covering web positioned over the cross beam curbing member having a ange projecting upwardly from between adjacent edges of said dome members, and said securing means comprising an apron member having an angle cross section with one leg thereof positioned over the periphery of said dome members and the other secured to said second set-of depending langes, and a cross beam retaining frame covering said upwardly-extending flangeand extending outwardly therefrom in the same plane as said portions of the apron member with said cross beam retaining frame terminating in a downwardly-turned ilange section with said ange section secured to said curbing frame.

References Cited in the vtile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

